TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM

In the quiet of the morning, I opened my bible and flipped through its thin pages to the book of Philippians—the book of joy. My fingers slowly traced the apostle’s words looking for treasure.

I read over and over again, the first chapter of Paul’s love letter to the church at Philippi, inspired by his affection for God’s people and his enthusiasm to both magnify Jesus Christ and his reason for his imprisonment. They are one in the same. Paul calls himself a bondservant of Jesus, and he certainly is, both literally and spiritually.

His testimony is riveting and it brings to my mind the promise Holy Spirit spoke to my heart a few weeks ago as I began my search for joy—

“Joy is found in a deeper understanding of God. Gain wisdom, know joy.”

Excitement rekindled in my heart as I began to uncover what God had for me in this beloved, though familiar book.

I couldn’t help but stop at verses 9 and 10. I must’ve read it a dozen times.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” Philippians 1:9-10

And there it was. The key to joy—love God.

As believers, we know this is the first and greatest command. And the second is just like it, love others as yourself.

To love God and love others is the high calling of the Christian. Paul makes this very clear as if Jesus Himself is speaking to the church at Philippi.

I can almost hear him saying, “Yes, I know you love God. That’s wonderful. And I know you love each other. Praise God! You even show your love for those far away. You’ve really got it. But, I want you to love more. Excel in agape.”

Love more. More? Now that’s a noble challenge. But what does that look like? And how can I make myself love Him and others more than I already do?

Without the insight from God’s Spirit we can only imagine what love is, what it looks like, and how it ought to feel. To know God and love like Him is absolutely impossible without a renewed mind.

Paul illustrates this very thing in the book of Titus:

“For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (Titus 3:3-6).

Then it all began to make sense. I sat there amazed by this simple, yet powerful insight: to love God and people requires God. And to love God and people more requires more of God.

Oh, how I relish in these deep truths. I think that’s called joy.

THE HARDEST PART

As a Christian, I'm called to be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus. I take a deep breath. Jesus loved difficult people. He was flat out selfless. He served people He knew would turn on Him. Still, He loved. He even loved people He knew would one day drive long stakes into his sinless flesh and smugly taunt Him as He died a criminal's death.

Not even His closest friends were able to endure a day of sacrificial prayer for the Savior of their souls. Jesus gave and He gave, but they could never give back what His heart needed. They didn't have the capacity to love their Lord the way He loved them. Jesus' relationships were definitely one-sided. Except one. God the Father. He loved the Son perfectly and provided all the comfort His humanity required, while giving ultimate value to His sufferings.

Jesus might appear to be a doormat. He was no doubt used by the multitudes for what He could do for them, as many walked away, thankless, dusting their filthy shoes off on the ground He created. That hasn't changed.

(I squeeze my nails into the palms of my hands. I refuse to be a doormat.)

But, lets not be unaware. Jesus set clear boundaries with people. And He still does. His boundaries are grace and truth. Set in such an infallible way, He mercifully bestows upon mankind the choice to be in relationship with Him—not the other way around. 

Jesus was never a people pleaser, like me, but a God pleaser and a God lover above everyone else. This commitment hardwired Him to love His enemies and enter into a loving relationship with them. 

Be like Jesus. The crux of such a high and holy calling is loving people. Yet its the hardest. Loving people is so painful at times that my soul screams for release. Sometimes I despise the hard command—to love people. Especially people who come against me, who hurt me, who hurt people I love. 

Sound harsh? Are you surprised? Or are you thinking, "Finally someone is telling the truth"?  

Let's just be honest—loving others the way Jesus loves is not natural. Actually, its impossible. And pretending to love people "like Jesus" defiles my soul more than anything. Jesus wasn't pretending when He hung on that cross and my fake love is the greatest insult to His salvation. The often practiced fake-it-'til-you-make-it mantra is only a cunning appeal to my self-righteousness. It's insincerity cloaked in niceties tell lies to my heart that hypocrisy will eventually turn into love. Not in my strength it won't. Only bitterness and resentment will flourish there. 

"Just be like Jesus . . . love like Jesus", I'm told. As I write this the answer hits me as to why a rebellious urge to resist God's supernatural work in me to love unloveable people moves front and center, aiming to push Jesus out of the way.

Its not because I don't love God, but because I love myself more. Loving difficult people, even praying for my enemies threatens that love. Threatens me. My soul screams, "I can't! I won't!"

Tears stream down my cheeks. In His presence, I am broken. Because my soul truly longs to love like Jesus. It yearns for more of Christ to love like Christ. And with God's help, I am able to love Him and love others—even those who hurt me—a little more today than yesterday.

Because God gives value to suffering. 

I pause at that unexpected notion and I chew on it a while. It tastes like nothing I've ever experienced. 

. . . . .

Father God, thank You for loving me. I am unworthy. My love is prideful and self centered. Please help me to love like Jesus. Please help me to love You. I can't love right without You. Amen.  

"Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:3